FEBRUARY ALREADY!

So 2012 is getting well and truly cranked up now.
I’ve successfully managed three shows using the new studio equipment, including this year’s first Skype interview (Matt & Luke of Juniper Green in Virginia) – and the next one’s bearing down fast!.
I look forward to having an ex-colleague join me in the studio soon to discuss, and play tracks from his selection of ‘best albums’ of 2011- it’ll be a nice change to have somebody else select tracks.
A variety of musicians from around the world continue to contact me with press kits and offers of tracks to include in my shows. Losing touch with mainstream / current charting artists, and not missing it one bit, there’s so much talent out there that deserves to be heard more widely and sites such as ReverbNation and FaceBook in particular are great at helping to develop contacts.
Generate Radio’s FM Application is under consideration by OFCOM with just over two week’s to go before we should hear what decision has been made.
I’ve completed my first return drive to London of the year, during the weekend when the snow decided to return to the South East; the drive back involved a detour via York onto the A19 as a result of the closure of the A1(M) to recover around twenty vehicles. Yorkshire Police apparently had to deal with fifty four collisions on that morning’s icy roads. As the forecast looks set to deteriorate again I hope that the next journey at the end of the coming weekend will not be adversely affected by severe winter weather.
I also look forward to a ‘relaxing’ Megabus trip in March to see Kenelis live again at IndigO2 as part of another showcase event organised by Feed Me Music – and it all feels that bit closer as the tickets arrived today..
I attended my first live gig of the year last night, Where’s George?, at ‘Whistlebinkies’ in Edinburgh – my duties extended to using video camera on tripod. A selection of videos have now been posted on YouTube. The gig was preceded by a rather bizarre incident:
‘…. so as I approached the ATM on North Bridge a guy stumbled past me wiping the corner of his mouth and spitting blood onto the pavement – another was shouting “let’s take it round there then” – somebody else in the group said “come on let’s get a look at this” – homeless guy under a blanket was shouting something unintelligible but sounded inflammatory – I bought some batteries after ATM and on returning saw a crowd round the corner in The Royal Mile watching as two people brawled on the pavement – cue ‘blues and twos’ coming across North Bridge on the wrong side of the street – that was last night’s welcome to Edinburgh!’
I’m seeking to ‘branch out’ further and hope to soon have a role as ‘Diversity Adviser’ with input into how Hate Crimes are dealt with.
Another new venture will be when I attend a ‘boys’ night out’ next week, to enjoy company and a meal in Kelso’s ‘Empress of India’.
I look forward to the slightly warmer spring weather and longer daylight so that I can spend more time in the garden workshop trying to turn my growing collection of assorted timber into something with ‘added value’, I have some promising lime blocks that I hope to use for more sculpture.
Another task for spring is to complete my tree planting at Greenlawdean when I plant out the ten oak trees that I held back ’til they grew a bit more.
Winnie’s jewellery range continues to grow and we are preparing for this year’s first ‘at home’ open evening tomorrow.